Part 7
Our humble duties remembred, in our owne, our messengers, and our churches name, with all thankfull acknowledgmente of your singuler love, expressing [21] itselfe, as otherwise, so more spetially in your great care and earnest endeavor of our good in this weightie bussines aboute Virginia, which y^e less able we are to requite, we shall thinke our selves the more bound to commend in our prayers unto God for recompence; whom, as for y^e presente you rightly behould in our indeavors, so shall we not be wanting on our parts (the same God assisting us) to returne all answerable fruite, and respecte unto y^e labour of your love bestowed upon us. We have with y^e best speed and consideration withall that we could, sett downe our requests in writing, subscribed, as you willed, w^th the hands of y^e greatest parte of our congregation, and have sente y^e same unto y^e Counsell by our agente, & a deacon of our church, John Carver, unto whom we have also requested a gentleman of our company to adyone him selfe; to the care & discretion of which two, we doe referr y^e prosecuting of y^e bussines. Now we perswade our selves Right Wor^pp: that we need not provoke your godly & loving minde to any further or more tender care of us, since you have pleased so farr to interest us in your selfe, that, under God, above all persons and things in the world, we relye upon you, expecting the care of your love, counsell of your wisdome, & the help & countenance of your authority. Notwithstanding, for your encouragmente in y^e worke, so farr as probabilities may leade, we will not forbeare to mention these instances of indusmente.
1. We veryly beleeve & trust y^e Lord is with us, unto whom & whose service we have given our selves in many trialls; and that he will graciously prosper our indeavours according to y^e simplicitie of our harts therin.
2^ly. We are well weaned from y^e delicate milke of our mother countrie, and enured to y^e difficulties of a strange and hard land, which yet in a great parte we have by patience overcome.
3^ly. The people are for the body of them, industrious, & frugall, we thinke we may safly say, as any company of people in the world.
4^ly. We are knite togeather as a body in a most stricte & sacred bond and covenante of the Lord, of the violation[M] wherof we make great conscience, and by vertue wherof we doe hould our selves straitly tied to all care of each others good, and of y^e whole by every one and so mutually.
5. Lastly, it is not with us as with other men, whom small things can discourage, or small discontentments cause to wish them selves at home againe. We knowe our entertainmente in England, and in Holand; we shall much prejudice both our arts & means by removall; who, if we should be driven to returne, we should not hope to recover our present helps and comforts, neither indeed looke ever, for our selves, to attaine unto y^e like in any other place during our lives, w^ch are now drawing towards their periods.
[22] These motives we have been bould to tender unto you, which you in your wisdome may also imparte to any other our wor^pp: freinds of y^e Counsell with you; of all whose godly dispossition and loving towards our despised persons, we are most glad, & shall not faile by all good means to continue & increase y^e same. We will not be further troublesome, but doe, with y^e renewed remembrance of our humble duties to your Wor^pp: and (so farr as in modestie we may be bould) to any other of our wellwillers of the Counsell with you, we take our leaves, co[=m]iting your persons and counsels to y^e guidance and direction of the Almighty.
Yours much bounden in all duty, JOHN ROBINSON, WILLIAM BREWSTER.
Leyden, Desem: 15. An^o: 1617.
For further light in these proceedings see some other letters & notes as followeth.
_The coppy of a letter sent to S^r. John Worssenham._
Right Wor^pll: with due acknowledgmente of our thankfullnse for your singular care & pains in the bussines of Virginia, for our, &, we hope, the co[=m]one good, we doe remember our humble dutys unto you, and have sent inclosed, as is required, a further explanation of our judgments in the 3. points specified by some of his majesties Hon^bl Privie Counsell; and though it be greevious unto us that such unjust insinuations are made against us, yet we are most glad of y^e occasion of making our just purgation unto so honourable personages. The declarations we have sent inclosed, the one more breefe & generall, which we thinke y^e fitter to be presented; the other something more large, and in which we express some smale accidentall differances, which if it seeme good unto you and other of our wor^pl freinds, you may send in stead of y^e former. Our prayers unto God is, y^t your Wor^pp may see the frute of your worthy endeaours, which on our parts we shall not faile to furder by all good means in us. And so praing y^t you would please with y^e convenientest speed y^t may be, to give us knowledge of y^e success of y^e bussines with his majesties Privie Counsell, and accordingly what your further pleasure is, either for our direction or furtherance in y^e same, so we rest
Your Wor^pp in all duty, JOHN ROBINSON, WILLIAM BREWSTER.
Leyden, Jan: 27. An^o: 1617. old stile.
_The first breefe note was this._
Touching y^e Ecclesiasticall ministrie, namly of pastores for teaching, elders for ruling, & deacons for distributing y^e churches contribution, as allso for y^e too Sacrements, baptisme, and y^e Lords supper, we doe wholy and in all points agree [23] with y^e French reformed churches, according to their publick confession of faith.
The oath of Supremacie we shall willingly take if it be required of us, and that conveniente satisfaction be not given by our taking y^e oath of Alleagence.
JOHN ROB: WILLIAM BREWSTER.
_Y^e 2. was this._
Touching y^e Ecclesiasticall ministrie, &c. as in y^e former, we agree in all things with the French reformed churches, according to their publick confession of faith; though some small differences be to be found in our practises, not at all in y^e substance of the things, but only in some accidentall circumstances.
1. As first, their ministers doe pray with their heads covered; ours uncovered.
2. We chose none for Governing Elders but such as are able to teach; which abilitie they doe not require.
3. Their elders & deacons are an[=u]all, or at most for 2. or 3. years; ours perpetuall.
4. Our elders doe administer their office in admonitions & excommunications for publick scandals, publickly & before y^e congregation; theirs more privately, & in their consistories.
5. We doe administer baptisme only to such infants as wherof y^e one parente, at y^e least, is of some church, which some of ther churches doe not observe; though in it our practice accords with their publick confession and y^e judgmente of y^e most larned amongst them.
Other differences, worthy mentioning, we know none in these points. Then aboute y^e oath, as in y^e former.
Subscribed, JOHN R. W. B.
_Part of another letter from him that delivered these._
London. Feb: 14. 1617.
Your letter to S^r. John Worstenholme I delivered allmost as soone as I had it, to his owne hands, and staid with him y^e opening & reading. Ther were 2. papers inclosed, he read them to him selfe, as also y^e letter, and in y^e reading he spake to me & said, Who shall make them? viz. y^e ministers; I answered his Wor^pp that y^e power of making was in y^e church, to be ordained by y^e imposition of hands, by y^e fittest instruments they had. It must either be in y^e church or from y^e pope, & y^e pope is Antichrist. Ho! said S^r. John, what y^e pope houlds good, (as in y^e Trinitie,) that we doe well to assente too; but, said he, we will not enter into dispute now. And as for your letters he would not show them at any hand, least he should spoyle all. He expected you should have been of y^e archb[~p] minde for y^e calling of ministers, but it seems you differed. I could have wished to have known y^e contents of your tow inclosed, at w^ch he stuck so much, espetially y^e larger. I asked his Wor^p what good news he had for me to write to morrow. He tould me very good news, for both the kings majestie and y^e bishops have consented. He said he would goe to M^r. Chancelor, S^r. Fulk Grivell, as this day, & nexte weeke I should know more. I mett S^r. Edw: Sands on Wedensday night; he wished me to be at the Virginia Courte y^e nexte Wedensday, wher I purpose to be. Thus loath to be troublsome at present, I hope to have somewhate nexte week of certentie concerning you. I co[=m]itte you to y^e Lord. Yours,
S. B.
[24] These things being long in agitation, & messengers passing too and againe aboute them, after all their hopes they were long delayed by many rubs that fell in y^e way; for at y^e returne of these messengers into England they found things farr otherwise then they expected. For y^e Virginia Counsell was now so disturbed with factions and quarrels amongst them selves, as no bussines could well goe forward. The which may the better appear in one of the messengers letters as followeth.
To his loving freinds, &c.
I had thought long since to have write unto you, but could not effecte y^t which I aimed at, neither can yet sett things as I wished; yet, notwithstanding, I doubt not but M^r. B. hath writen to M^r. Robinson. But I thinke my selfe bound also to doe something, least I be thought to neglecte you. The maine hinderance of our proseedings in y^e Virginia bussines, is the dissentions and factions, as they terme it, amongs y^e Counsell & Company of Virginia; which are such, as that ever since we came up no busines could by them be dispatched. The occasion of this trouble amongst them is, for that a while since S^r. Thomas Smith, repining at his many offices & troubls, wished y^e Company of Virginia to ease him of his office in being Treasurer & Gover^r. of y^e Virginia Company. Wereupon y^e Company tooke occasion to dismisse him, and chose S^r. Edwin Sands Treasure^r & Gover^r of y^e Company. He having 60. voyces, S^r. John Worstenholme 16. voices, and Alderman Johnsone 24. But S^r. Thomas Smith, when he saw some parte of his honour lost, was very angrie, & raised a faction to cavill & contend aboute y^e election, and sought to taxe S^r. Edwin with many things that might both disgrace him, and allso put him by his office of Governour. In which contentions they yet stick, and are not fit nor readie to intermedle in any bussines; and what issue things will come to we are not yet certaine. It is most like S^r. Edwin will carrie it away, and if he doe, things will goe well in Virginia; if otherwise, they will goe ill enough allways. We hope in some 2. or 3. Court days things will setle. Mean space I thinke to goe downe into Kente, & come up againe aboute 14. days, or 3. weeks hence; except either by these afforesaid contentions, or by y^e ille tidings from Virginia, we be wholy discouraged, of which tidings I am now to speake.
Captaine Argoll is come home this weeke (he upon notice of y^e intente of y^e Counsell, came away before S^r. Georg Yeardley came ther, and so ther is no small dissention). But his tidings are ill, though his person be wellcome. He saith M^r. Blackwells shipe came not ther till March, but going towards winter, they had still norwest winds, which carried them to the southward beyond their course. And y^e m^r of y^e ship & some 6. of y^e mariners dieing, it seemed they could not find y^e bay, till after long seeking & beating aboute. M^r. Blackwell is dead, & M^r. Maggner, y^e Captain; yea, ther are dead, he saith, 130. persons, one & other in y^t ship; it is said ther was in all an 180. persons in y^e ship, so as they were packed togeather like herings. They had amongst them y^e fluxe, and allso wante of fresh water; so as it is hear rather wondred at y^t so many are alive, then that so many are dead. The marchants hear say it was M^r. Blackwells faulte to pack so many in y^e ship; yea, & ther were great mutterings & repinings amongst them, and upbraiding of M^r. Blackwell, for his dealing and dispossing of them, when they saw how he had dispossed of them, & how he insulted over them. Yea, y^e streets at Gravsend runge of their extreame quarrelings, crying out one of another, Thou hast brought me to this, and, I may thanke the for this. Heavie newes it is, and I would be glad to heare how farr it will discourage. I see none hear discouraged much, [25] but rather desire to larne to beware by other mens harmes, and to amend that wherin they have failed. As we desire to serve one another in love, so take heed of being inthraled by any imperious persone, espetially if they be discerned to have an eye to them selves. It doth often trouble me to thinke that in this bussines we are all to learne and none to teach; but better so, then to depend upon such teachers as M^r. Blackwell was. Such a strategeme he once made for M^r. Johnson & his people at Emden, w^ch was their subversion. But though he ther clenlily (yet unhonstly) plucked his neck out of y^e collar, yet at last his foote is caught. Hear are no letters come, y^e ship captain Argole came in is yet in y^e west parts; all y^t we hear is but his report; it seemeth he came away secretly. The ship y^t M^r. Blackwell went in will be hear shortly. It is as M^r. Robinson once said; he thought we should hear no good of them.
M^r. B. is not well at this time; whether he will come back to you or goe into y^e north, I yet know not. For my selfe, I hope to see an end of this bussines ere I come, though I am sorie to be thus from you; if things had gone roundly forward, I should have been with you within these 14. days. I pray God directe us, and give us that spirite which is fitting for such a bussines. Thus having su[=m]arily pointed at things w^ch M^r. Brewster (I thinke) hath more largly write of to M^r. Robinson, I leave you to the Lords protection.
Yours in all readines, &c. ROBART CUSHMAN.
London, May 8. An^o: 1619.
A word or tow by way of digression touching this M^r. Blackwell; he was an elder of y^e church at Amsterdam, a man well known of most of them. He declined from y^e trueth w^th M^r. Johnson & y^e rest, and went with him when y^ey parted assunder in y^t wofull maner, w^ch brought so great dishonour to God, scandall to y^e trueth, & outward ruine to them selves in this world. But I hope, notwithstanding, through y^e mercies of y^e Lord, their souls are now at rest with him in y^e heavens, and y^t they are arrived in y^e Haven of hapines; though some of their bodies were thus buried in y^e terrable seas, and others sunke under y^e burthen of bitter afflictions. He with some others had prepared for to goe to Virginia. And he, with sundrie godly citizens, being at a private me[=e]ing (I take it a fast) in London, being discovered, many of them were apprehended, wherof M^r. Blackwell was one; but he so glosed w^th y^e b[~p]s,[N] and either dissembled or flatly denyed y^e trueth which formerly he had maintained; and not only so, but very unworthily betrayed and accused another godly man who had escaped, that so he might slip his own neck out of y^e collar, & to obtaine his owne freedome brought others into bonds. Wherupon he so wone y^e b[~p]s favour (but lost y^e Lord's) as he was not only dismiste, but in open courte y^e arch-bishop gave him great applause and his sollemne blessing to proseed in his vioage. But if such events follow y^e b[~p]s blessing, happie are they y^t misse y^e same; it is much better to keepe a good conscience and have y^e Lords blessing, whether in life or death.
But see how y^e man thus apprehended by M^r. Blackwells means, writs to a freind of his.
Right dear friend & christian brother, _M^r. Carver_, I salute you & yours in y^e Lord, &c. As for my owne presente condition, I doubt not but you well understand it ere this by our brother Maistersone, who should have tasted of y^e same cupp, had his place of residence & his person been as well knowne as my selfe. Some what I have written to _M^r. Cushman_ how y^e matter _still continues_. I have petitioned _twise_ to M^r. Sherives, and _once_ to my Lord Cooke, and have used such reasons to move them to pittie, that if they were not overruled by some others, I suppose I should soone gaine my libertie; as that I was a yonge man living by my [26] credite, indebted to diverse in our citie, living at more then ordinarie charges in a close & tedious prison; besids great rents abroad, all my bussines lying still, my only servante lying lame in y^e countrie, my wife being also great with child. And yet no answer till y^e lords of his majesties Counsell gave consente. Howbeit, M^r. Blackwell, a man as deepe in this action as I, was delivered at a cheaper rate, with a great deale less adoe; yea, with an addition of y^e Arch[~p]: blessing. I am sorie for M^r. Blackwels weaknes, I wish it may prove no worse. But yet he & some others of them, _before their going_, were not sorie, but thought it was for y^e best that I was nominated, not because y^e Lord sanctifies evill to good, but that y^e action was good, yea for y^e best. One reason I well remember he used was, because this trouble would encrease y^e Virginia plantation, in that now people begane to be more generally inclined to goe; and if he had not nomminated some such as I, he had not bene free, being it was knowne that diverse citizens besids them selves were ther. I expecte an answer shortly what they intende conscerning me; I purpose to write to some others of you, by whom you shall know the certaintie. Thus not haveing further at present to acquaint you withall, co[=m]ending myselfe to your prairs, I cease, & co[=m]itte you and us all to y^e Lord.
From my chamber in Wodstreete Compter. Your freind, & brother in bonds, SABIN STARESMORE.
Sept^r: 4. An^o: 1618.
But thus much by y^e way, which may be of instruction & good use.
But at last, after all these things, and their long attendance, they had a patent granted them, and confirmed under y^e Companies seale; but these devissions and distractions had shaken of many of ther pretended freinds, and disappointed them of much of their hoped for & proffered means. By the advise of some freinds this pattente was not taken in y^e name of any of their owne, but in y^e name of Mr. John Wincob (a religious gentleman then belonging to y^e Countess of Lincoline), who intended to goe with them. But God so disposed as he never went, nor they ever made use of this patente, which had cost them so much labour and charge, as by y^e sequell will appeare. This patente being sente over for them to veiw & consider, as also the passages aboute y^e propossitions between them & such marchants & freinds as should either goe or adventure with them, and espetially with those[O] on whom y^ey did cheefly depend for shipping and means, whose proffers had been large, they were requested to fitt and prepare them selves with all speed. A right emblime, it may be, of y^e uncertine things of this world; y^t when men have toyld them selves for them, they vanish into smoke.
The 6. Chap.
_Conscerning y^e agreements and artickles between them, and such marchants & others as adventured moneys; with other things falling out aboute making their provissions._
Upon y^e receite of these things by one of their messengers, they had a sollemne meeting and a day of humilliation to seeke y^e Lord for his direction; and their pastor tooke this texte, 1 _Sam_. 23. 3, 4. _And David's men said unto him, see, we be afraid hear in Judah, how much more if we come to Keilah against the host of the Phillistines? Then David asked counsell of y^e Lord againe, &c._ From which texte he taught many things very aptly, and befitting ther present occasion and condition, strengthing them against their fears and perplexities, and incouraging them in their resolutions. [27] After which they concluded both what number and what persons should prepare them selves to goe with y^e first; for all y^t were willing to have gone could not gett ready for their other affairs in so shorte a time; neither if all could have been ready, had ther been means to have trasported them alltogeather. Those that staied being y^e greater number required y^e pastor to stay with them; and indeede for other reasons he could not then well goe, and so it was y^e more easilie yeelded unto. The other then desired y^e elder, M^r. Brewster, to goe with them, which was also condescended unto. It was also agreed on by mutuall consente and covenante, that those that went should be an absolute church of them selves, as well as those y^t staid; seing in such a dangrous vioage, and a removall to such a distance, it might come to pass they should (for y^e body of them) never meete againe in this world; yet with this proviso, that as any of y^e rest came over to them, or of y^e other returned upon occasion, they should be reputed as members without any further dismission or testimoniall. It was allso promised to those y^t wente first, by y^e body of y^e rest, that if y^e Lord gave them life, & me[=a]s, & opportunitie, they would come to them as soone as they could.